Thursday, November 24, 2016

Most problems come with a combination of symptoms. Rarely will your dog exhibit a sole symptom or a sign. With some issues, it is important to consider them in context. Some, however, are reason enough to seek emergency care even if that's the only thing you notice.

Only 59.38% of you believe that unproductive vomiting is an emergency. Perhaps I should have used different wording, such as unproductive retching.

A dog who is trying to vomit but nothing is coming out is a major emergency. This is a telltale sign of GDV/bloat!

Gastric Dilatation and Volvulus (GDV) is the mother of all emergencies. Every minute counts.

Immediate, aggressive treatment is the only thing that can save your dog's life.

Why is GDV/bloat so dangerous?

In dogs, bloat goes beyond simple what we consider bloat in people. Yes, it involves an accumulation of gas, food or fluid in the stomach, causing it to expand. The stomach then puts pressure on other organs, restricting blood flow to the stomach lining, and the heart, and therefore to the rest of the body. This can cause hypovolemic shock.

If that wasn't bad enough, sections of this trapped stomach wall can necrotize (the tissue dies). It can also cause blood clotting to go crazy with small blood clots developing throughout the entire bloodstream ... When things get this far, prognosis is extremely poor.

And just imagine the pain from all that.

Note: The video was taken at the emergency vet's office while Flash's x-rays (confirming GDV) were developing. Unfortunately, he didn't make it, though.

The video was taken in hopes that even just 1 large-breed dog owner who is not familiar with the symptoms of bloat would watch this and be able to identify the symptoms and seek medical attention before it is too late.

Grueling picture?

If I painted a truly grueling picture, it was my intention. This is indeed the worst of emergencies. Know the signs of GDV/bloat and know that if you see them time is wasting. Particularly if your dog is large, deep-chested breed.

Very much so. There is actually a preventive surgery out there now, which can be done during spay/neuter. Giving more smaller meals rather than one large one also helps, as well as slowing down the way they eat.

I have worried about this since I read about it but my vet said not to worry but I still take precautions and if I see she has eaten I will not take her for a walk for at least an hour, as I feel rather be safe than sorry, thanks for this post

Bloat is really scary. This video was so disturbing, I feel so awful for Flash. Please tell me that it was filmed at a Vet's office and that he was going to receive treatment as soon as possible! It seemed a bit cruel to be videoing him and talking about the immediate need for action at the same time. My Husky is also deep chested & weighs about 50 lbs so I do worry about it.Love & Biscuits,Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them

The video was taken at the emergency vet's office while Flash's x-rays (confirming GDV) were developing. Unfortunately, he didn't make it, though.

The video was taken in hopes that even just 1 large-breed dog owner who is not familiar with the symptoms of bloat would watch this and be able to identify the symptoms and seek medical attention before it is too late.

We're dealing with a dog, Taffy, that's had some serious digestive problems. Then we lost a beloved blog pal, Easy, to complications from bloat. It's very important to know the signs so thanks for this valuable information.

Bloat is indeed very serious and time is of the essence. Fortunately, I have ever experienced it with my dogs, and pray I never do. Thank you for your informative post, and I'm pinning and sharing this very important post with others.

I am so glad you did such an informative post about GDV most large sized dog owners are either clueless or dont use simple preventive measures in place like no exercise or play at least for an hour after a walk. I had assisted a vet for a surgery with a boxer who came in with a bloat we could luckily save him but the post operative care was long and not an easy road for at least a month

Do you know if Slash was treated? The person in the video said he couldn't get into the car and also that he was in need of immediate medical care (while filming him in discomfort). Hopefully he was at the vet's office? Thank you for sharing this. Most people wouldn't know what to look for.

The video was taken at the emergency vet's office while Flash's x-rays (confirming GDV) were developing. Unfortunately, he didn't make it, though.

The video was taken in hopes that even just 1 large-breed dog owner who is not familiar with the symptoms of bloat would watch this and be able to identify the symptoms and seek medical attention before it is too late.

My friend's German Shepherd was sick, they took him to the vet and was told it pancreatitis, but the next day he was worse and they took him for a second opinion. That vet said it was bloat and unfortunately they were too late. I don't know if the first vet missed the diagnosis or if he developed bloat the next day. It was very sad.

Very interesting! I hadn't thought of how unproductive wretching could be such an emergency in dogs. With cats, you sometimes get unproductive wretching because they are working on getting a hairball out, but it isn't quite ready yet. It is still something to be cautious about, but not exactly an emergency on its own. This is great to know!

Bloat is definitely one of my worst fears. Though fearing that I won't be able to recognize it is probably even worse. So thank you for sharing this information! Definitely bookmarking.-Jessica from Beagles & Bargains

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Disclaimer: Information published on this blog are my opinions and findings the way I understand them. I try to provide good information, but my main goal is to get you to get educated and come to your own understanding of things.